Chocolate's New Trick

On Valentine's Day, ensure that your lover's pulse quickens with the right gift: creamy, dark chocolate. After 16 volunteers each munched a 3.5-ounce bar of extra dark chocolate, ultrasound scans revealed improved heart health with better blood flow for the next 3 hours, a new study from Athens Medical School finds.

Experts have long known that dark chocolate contains substances, known as polyphenol flavonoids, that improve heart health; this research reveals that the sweet actually improves the functioning of the endothelium, a layer of cells in arteries (including those in the heart) that prevents plaque buildup and protects against high blood pressure.

"Our research suggests that flavonoids can directly act on endothelial cells and stimulate the production of nitric oxide, a substance that dilates arteries," says researcher Charalambos Vlachopoulos, MD, a cardiologist. Other research suggests that eating 3 ounces of dark chocolate per day could lower blood pressure.

Unfortunately, you still can't eat an entire box of Godiva guilt-free. Chocolate's fat and sugar content can lead to excess pounds--never a good thing for your heart health.

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